The Twist of Fate
by mythology1746
Summary: What would happen if everything in the epologue happened the way it did, the only difference being the children of Ron, Hermione, and Draco? What if Hermione had had one of Ron's kids then left him, somehow ending up with Draco in the middle of it all?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello one and all. I know that I've been MIA - and I'm sure you know that if you're on my Alerts list...if there's anyone left. I should explain: I've had a really, really bad couple of years. The fics I've had posted (and that are still up) aren't as good as I had hoped. This is a new thing for me, though I do love Dramione fics(x So, this takes place with the next generation, but in an AU world. Won't say more, just enjoy.**

**PS | Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, and any of the characters you recognize belong to JK Rowling. However, Cass, Anastasia, Kay, Jenna, Becca, and all the ones you **_**don't**_** recognize belong to moi.**

"Mum!" The crowd parted, and Cassiopeia Malfoy found her mother. Her silvery-gray eyes were bright with excitement. Her bone strait hair was pulled into a high pony-tail, and the brown seemed golden blonde in the late-afternoon sunlight.

"Cass darling!" Hermione Malfoy cried as her eleven-year-old daughter ran into her arms. "How are you! How has your year been?"

"Mum you're strangling me!" Cass's voice was muffled, lost in her mother's robes.

Hermione straitened, releasing her daughter. Cassie was clutching the small leather rucksack (of which her father had insisted she have) and her black trunk lay on its side a foot behind her. The muggle-looking monorail was still releasing students, and there was chaos and noise everywhere.

Hermione pointed her wand at the trunk, held up her little bag (which had once been decorated with beads, but had been transfigured to a silk coin purse) and watched with satisfaction as it flew into the mouth of the bag. Together, they walked hand-in-hand to the escalators, out of the station, and to their little minivan.

As Hermione pulled out of the parking lot, Cass began talking. "So, I've had the best half of a year so far! Jen invited me over to her house for the new year, and she also invited over Kay and Becca! Can I please go?"

Her mother smiled. "We'll see what your father says."

"Oh! I wanted to ask you about that! How did you guys meet, mum? And how did we get over to America when we all obviously come from Brittan? I mean, that's what Jen says. That we're all famous is Europe and that you moved here."

"I see. And what else did this Jen girl tell you?"

"Oh she said the most ridiculous thing ever! She said that everyone knew that you hated my father, and that you and him didn't actually fall in love, but he raped you and forced you to marry him and you were so ashamed you fled the continent and came to America."

Hermione's hands turned white as her grip tightened on the steering wheel. "What's Jen's full name, darling?"

"Jennifer Malone, and my other friends are Katia Mercer and Rebecca Johnson - and they both agreed that you were famous and so was Dad but Dad was a bad guy and everyone hated him. Is that true? Am I a bastard child?"

Hermione stared intently at the road. They were nearing their property as she finally began to speak again. "Honey, we're going to talk about this when your father gets home. Know this: your father and I had a rough time when we were children. There was a lot of conflict because of blood status at school, but we love each other very much and that is not going to change any time soon."

Cass frowned, but nodded. As soon as her mother stopped the car (about 50 yards from the front door of their country manor) she jumped out, running into the house. Hermione, on the other hand, sat frozen in the still-running car. What she had hoped against - prayed against so much it was not even funny - was that her daughter need not know the nature of her and her husband's past. As soon as things had calmed down enough, she had moved her family to the other side of the world, to Rosemont, Pennsylvania. Her daughter was taken off of the list for Hogwarts as soon as they had moved, and she was enrolled instead in the Salem Institution for Bright Young Witches and Wizards, not far away in the state of Massachusetts. She should have expected that her daughter would learn her past from other students, but it had been enough to hope, had it not? Of course not.

It was long past dark when the tall, blonde man appeared with a _CRACK_ in the middle of the living room. The first thing Draco Malfoy saw was his wife sitting on one of their lush couches, staring at the _Philadelphia Herald for the Magically Able_ - otherwise known as the _Herald_ - with a worried look on her face. He dropped his bag on the floor and strode over to Hermione, snatching the paper away and throwing it onto the floor. He knew that something was wrong when she made no move to protest, or at the very least pick the newspaper back up.

Draco felt a thin layer of panic settle upon him. "Hermione - Hermione please, is something wrong? Is it Cassiopeia?"

Hermione blinked, and her brown eyes coming into focus. "Malone, Mercer, and Johnson. Are those surnames that you recognize?" Draco blinked, taken aback by the question. "_Answer me_!"

"I know that they all have children around our daughter's age." Draco frowned, a crease appearing in between his pale eyebrows. "Joseph Malone married Sylvia Ray, whose brother is the President of the Magic Association. The Mercers are fairly prominent in the American pureblood society, and the Johnsons take up three seats on the Council of Magic, even though they're mostly half-bloods. Now please tell me what this is about."

Hermione lowered her voice. "Apparently, Cass's new friends are of those families, and they recognized the name Malfoy."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Why is this a bad thing, dear?"

Hermione's voice came out in a near-silent hiss. "It's bad because apparently their parents told them rumors - or they found out, I don't know - about the two of us. They conveyed the little they knew to Cass! The rumors about you _raping_ and then forcing matrimony upon me!" Before her husband could say anything, Hermione paled. "What if she found out about Anastasia?"

He sat down beside her. "If she found out, she found out. There isn't anything more to think about than that."

"It's her older sister, Draco. What if she wants to meet her? What if she wants to meet _Ron_?"

The blonde's expression hardened. "She won't want to meet him. He was a monster and monsters never change. If Cass so wishes to meet with Anastasia, you can write to Ronald and make arrangements. I have no issues with her staying in this house - I would have no issues if you wished to get custody of her and have her live here, as you full well know. However, under no circumstances will Ronald Weasley enter my home."

Hermione looked ready to respond - to protest - when their eleven-year-old daughter came flying down the stairs and crashed into her father. "Dad! Oh I've missed you so!"

Draco smiled and detached his daughter from his side. "Come, I'm sure Gemmy has dinner all prepared. I want you to tell me all about your new school."

Ten minutes later, they all sat in the cozy dining room with dinner. "So, when we get to school we all get these circular crystals, and they're all clear. We have to point our wands at them and say '_Tempus est mihi esse electum. Pone me simul_' Then the stone turns color and they seat us at the table with all the others of the same colored stone! It's wonderful! There are four colors it might turn: a milky white, jade green, aquamarine, and saffronish orange. They stand for air, earth, water and fire - or else _Aeris_, _Terra_, _Lympha_, and _Ignis_."

"And where were you put?" Hermione asked delicately.

"I'm a _Terra_! We're apparently the strongest willed, and the most motivated to do. We will get something done no matter what, and stay strong and steady through any situation."

Draco looked over at his daughter, interest appearing on his face. "What are the traits of the others?"

"Well, the _Aeris_ are very open. They will accept anything and go where the wind blows them, so to speak. They aren't the most motivated, and do what must be done if they can, but if they can't it's just like no big deal to them. The _Lympha_ can adapt to any situation and get through it intact. _Ignis_ will blast everything to bits to get what is desired."

"And are Jen and Kay and Bec all _Terra_s as well?" Hermione asked.

"Well of course! We're roommates too! There's another girl - her name's Marissa - but we don't talk to her because she's really rude and according to a few of the guys she's also a whore."

Hermione frowned; an eleven year old? That couldn't be right.

"Anyways, Jen's like super wealthy! At the _Pecunia_, they have a vault in the lowest levels! It's amazing and their home is huge! She said if you wanted her parents are having a party New Year's Eve and you could come. It's like formal."

"What of the other girls you mentioned?" Hermione's shock at the invitation was very clearly unnoticed by Cass.

"Well, Kay - Katia - her mom is a pureblood from Russia. She's really awesome, Kay. Her birthday is the day after mine! It's so soon! And then Rebecca...well, in reality no one knows that much about her except that her mom's family line traces to England a few years ago, and she lives with her Aunt Grace."

Draco gave his daughter a blank-like stare. "Any males in your Year you'd care to speak of?"

Cass frowned slightly. "Well, Billius, Alexander, Beck, Joseph and Danny are all in _Terra_ as well, but they don't seem to like us or anyone else. I dunno - it's like they like to live in another world or something. We _try_ and be nice, but they just don't want anything to do with us."

"Any names I would recognize?" Draco asked.

"Not really...three of them are muggle-born, a pair are twins that are half-blooded, and then Danny Saars is just...I dunno. A Saars."

"I know of him - very old, prominent family with a pretty good, clean record. Now, aside from the friends you've made, how are your classes? Your teachers?"

"Well, my classes are the best! Our History of Magic teacher is the most amazing in the world! The subject would be _so_ boring, but he teaches it by giving us plays and scripts that we memorize and perform! And if he doesn't use that method, then he Transfigures various things into the things we're studying, and it works that way! I'm really good at Charms and Transfiguration, but I don't like Defense Studies that much...the class is dreadfully dull! I just want to learn the spells. I couldn't care less about any of the reasons behind them. We don't get to use spells until we're Second Years."

Draco and Hermione smiled at each other; their daughter was the perfect culmination of them both.

**So, just for a quick for-the-record thing, all of the children except for three still exist from the epilogue: Scorpius, Rose, and Hugo. In lieu of them are Cass (who is in the same Year as Albus Severus and where Rose would be), and Anastasia (who is, at this point, a Fifth Year). Hope you all enjoyed, Ayla.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hola(x So, here is chapter two of this amazing story. Read and review please. ~Ayla**

"Thank you thank you thank you, mum!" Cass squealed, hugging her mother.

"Don't worry, dear." Hermione smiled. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

The mother and daughter were standing in the entryway, waiting for Draco to finish getting ready. It was December 31st, and the Malfoy family was just about to leave for the Malone place for the New Year's party. It was after much begging and pleading from Cass that Hermione had just given in and said they could go. As the day dawned nearer, Hermione had a meltdown - "Whatever will we wear?" "Oh what will they say to us?" - until Draco managed to calm her down enough.

Draco appeared at his wife's shoulder a moment later. "Are we all ready?" He asked.

Cass nodded eagerly, while Hermione merely tipped her head. "As ready as possible." The latter replied. Cass squealed in excitement, nearly jumping into the fire (which had no Floo powder at the moment).

Draco flung some of the dust into the orange flames; upon contact, the fire turned emerald green. Cass stepped into the fire. "Malone Manor!" She called, and was swept away in a flash of green. She spun around for a minute, then felt herself stop abruptly; gathering her bearings, she saw that the fireplace she landed in was huge. A second later, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her forward; not half a moment later, flames rose up where she had been standing and Hermione, and then Draco, appeared.

"Jen!" She exclaimed, catching sight of who had pulled her out.

"Cassie!" Jennifer squealed. "You're the first of us here! It's so great to see you." Jennifer looked over her best friend; Cass wore pretty green dress robes, accented in silver (which brought out her eyes, so like Draco's, only flecked with silver), that more resembled a muggle dress than actual robes. Jenna wore robes similar to those of the former, though they were pure gold; her chestnut hair was pulled up into a high pony tail, with a few strands hanging in front of the metallic headband.

"You must be the young Ms. Malone?" A half-smug, half-gentle voice said from behind Cass; Jenna peered around the other girl, finding herself staring into the near-colorless eyes of Draco Malfoy.

"I - yes, sir." She said, her voice much lower and calmer. "You - are you Cass's - are you Mr. Malfoy?"

He rose an eyebrow. "Yes, I'm Mr. Malfoy, and this is my wife." He took Hermione's arm, the latter of which gave the girl a kind smile. "Can you tell me where your parents are?"

"Of course." She said, trembling slightly. "They're in the ballroom - through that door - entertaining those who are here. They'll be happy to meet you."

Draco nodded. "Where will you be?"

"In the drawing room with everyone else under age."

Draco grinned slightly. "Well then have a nice night. We'll see you later." With that, he took Hermione's arm and led her toward the door Jenna had indicated. When they were gone and the door had swung closed behind them, Jenna let out a sigh of relief.

"Your father is very scary!" She exclaimed.

Cass smiled slightly. "He can be. But once you know him he's ever so sweet!"

Jenna was saved from retorting when green flames rose once again in the fireplace. A moment later, Rebecca stepped out of the fireplace; her golden-blonde corkscrew curls were flowing around her head; she wore pretty blue dress robes that brought out her eyes. Stepping out behind her was a woman in her mid-forties; her graying black hair was piled neatly into a bun on top of her head, and she wore robes of pure white.

"Ms. Johnson, is it?" Jenna asked.

The woman smiled. "Just call me Aunt Grace. Everyone does."

Timidly, Jenna nodded. "Well, all the adults are in the ballroom. Right over there."

Aunt Grace smiled. "Thank you. Rebecca, darling, have a nice time." And walked off.

"Becca!" The two girls grinned, hugging the blonde.

"Hey!" She said grinning. "We just waiting on Kay?"

"Yup." And, as though on cue, the fire glowed again, and admitted Katia Mercer, followed by a strict-looking woman that was very clearly Russian, then another man who was most likely British. Katia's red hair hung in loose waves around her face, and the lime colored robes she wore brought out her emerald eyes. Her mother's hair was ice-blonde, pulled into a tight pony tail; her dress robes were bright red, making her skin appear much, much paler than it was (although, it was pretty damn pale to start with); her ice blue eyes were staring around with contempt. Her father had dark hair that was cropped short, and wore plain black dress robes.

Katia shot her mother a fearful look. "Mama vy mozhete idti. YA budu v poryadke s moimi druzʹyami."

"YA budu videtʹ vas pozzhe." Then, to the others, "Vare are your parents?" Her voice was heavily accented.

"The ballroom, right to your right." Jenna said, looking the Russian strait in the eyes.

She gave a curt nod and walked off. Katia seemed less tense as soon as her mother was gone. "Thank Merlin!" The four girls shared a look, then practically ran into a group hug.

"C'mon." Jenna said. "Let's go up to the drawing room. You three were the only ones supposed to arrive by Floo before nine." She motioned them to follow her, and led them up the grand staircase. At the top was a huge door in front of them, then a hallway leading to either side. Jenna pushed open the large doors to reveal a huge room, much larger than the room in Cass's home, filled with children and teenagers. Cass recognized a group of them as the other students from the Institute, but a large majority seemed to be foreign, or at least attend different schools.

There were tray floating around, carrying goblets of butterbeer and pumpkin juice, and little sandwiches and hors d'œuvre. Music was coming from all directions, a sweet melody that was upbeat and excited at the same time. Everyone wore dress robes, though most people were sitting on couches or chairs, some eating, but almost no one talking to one another.

Jenna rolled her eyes as several people stared at them. "Okay," she called to the room at large, "this is a New Year's Eve _party_! Why are y'all sitting around here like a bunch of potato sacks? We should be laughing and having fun!"

And to jump start the action, she snapped her fingers. The music changed instantly, becoming a much faster, more of a fun dance tune. She proceeded to grab her friends and pull them to the center of the room, where a shiny dance floor had been set up. After a few minutes of them dancing around like idiots, more people joined in. Only a few minutes later, there were peals of laughter to be heard, and talking, and loads of movement.

Then the door swung open, admitting a scared-looking Marissa Cole.

"You must be the hostess of the party?" Draco said to a woman that looked startling like Jenna.

She turned, her royal purple robes swishing at her ankles. "Sylvia Malone." She introduced herself, offering a hand gloved in white silk.

Draco shook it first, then Hermione. "I'm Hermione Malfoy, and this is my husband Draco."

At the word _Malfoy_, those around them went silent. Draco glared at several of them before saying to Sylvia, in a perfectly polite voice, "It's our pleasure to have been invited into your home. It's very lovely."

The other woman blinked for a moment. "I - it is my pleasure to have you, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco shook his head. "Mr. Malfoy is my father. Just call me Draco, and my wife Hermione. Is your husband around, by chance?"

"Of course!" Her composure, out the door from the moment she learned their identities, returned slightly. She turned to her left, calling, "Joseph, darling, there are some guests here that want to meet you."

She was talking to a small group of men, but the one that was clearly her husband - clad in royal purple robes as well - walked over. He looked quite good natured, his graying hair still full, smile lines around his strikingly gray eyes. He took his wife's hand when he arrived.

"Yes, dear?" He said, though it was very lovingly - not at all sarcastic or annoyed.

"This is Draco and Hermione _Malfoy_," she said, her smile slightly fixed and not hiding her nerves; she turned to the Brits. "This is my husband, Joseph Malone."

Draco shook the man's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Malone."

He smiled. "No need for formalities. Call me Joseph. It's quite an honor to meet such a famous man, if I do say so myself." Both Sylvia and Hermione stiffened, but he took no notice of it. "I've heard marvelous tales of the pair of you. War at such a young age must have been hard on your mental health, if you understand - "

"Let's not talk about it here." Sylvia said, slightly waspish.

"Oh no," Hermione said, her smile turning slightly cold. "What is it that you'd like to say, Joseph? If you don't mind me asking."

Joseph looked slightly scared; his eyes flickered to his wife's face, then he looked at Hermione - who, he had to remind himself, could probably curse him into oblivion in the time it took to find his own wand. "Well, just that there has been much talk about what has gone on since the fall of the British Dark Lord, Voldemort. It was a surprise to the community on a whole when it was announced that Draco Malfoy, son of a disgraced follower and accused on himself, was marrying one of Harry Potter's best friends! Rumors flew for ages - they're still flying now, if you care to listen."

Hermione looked absolutely scandalized. A moment later, the doors opened again; in walked Aunt Grace, closely followed by the Mercer parents. Instantly, Draco recognized the man.

"Nikolas Mercer." He said quietly.

The other man stared at Draco for a moment, then recognized him. "Malfoy!" Nikolas cried in recognition. The woman glared at him, and muttered in her accented English, "Vere are you manners?"

He looked patiently at his wife. "This is the man I told you about that bullied myself and my friends through school." To Hermione, he said, "Granger, you're looking good."

Hermione stiffened. "To you, it is Mrs. Malfoy or Hermione." Then she looked at the other adults, who were staring at the four of them as though they were a freak show. "Nikolas Mercer…why didn't we recognize the name? He was two years under us at Hogwarts, and his parents had wanted him to go there instead of America, so they took a twenty-year vacation there. Hufflepuff, right? You constantly mocked everyone and were good friends with Zacharias Smith."

Grace interrupted whatever Nikolas was going to say next. "Since I've just arrived, can we please have introductions and _then_ carry on with whatever argument that was going on? Allow me to begin: my name is Grace Latham; I'm Rebecca's aunt, her mother's older sister. Your turn."

After an uncomfortable silence, Hermione was the next to speak. "Of course, Grace, how rude of us. My name is Hermione Malfoy, this is my husband Draco. We're Cass's parents."

"I'm Nikolas Mercer." The former Hufflepuff said quietly. "This is my wife, Irina. Katia's our only daughter."

"And we're the hosts of the party." Sylvia announced. "This is my husband Joseph, and I am Sylvia Malone neé Ray." Her chin lifted slightly, clear pride showing at the fact her maiden name was shared with the name of the President of the Magic Association.

Grace turned to look at Draco, whose arm was around Hermione's shoulder. "So you are the famous Brits that have been the revolving point of _Witch Weekly_ for the past decade?" Hermione blushed; Draco glared. Grace instantly retraced her steps. "When Rebecca told me she'd met a Malfoy, I didn't believe that the stories were true. I mean, if they had been true then you wouldn't be letting her out in public, would you?"

Nikolas's voice turned cool. "Knowing Draco, it's certainly possible what's been said is true."

Sylvia looked at her guests, the guardians of her daughter's best friends. "I think we should let them talk. It's rude to gossip, and even more so to do it to their faces. If they'd like to tell us, then let them; if they wouldn't, then we should respect that and _not jump to conclusions_. To me, Draco and Hermione are the parents of Cass - who, need I remind you, is friends with all our children. If they raised someone worthy of friendship of our daughters, then they must be perfectly respectable people."

Irina muttered something to Nikolas in fast Russian; reluctantly, he translated. "My wife would like to point out that, although the Malfoy family was not the kindest or most endearing, they are very old and still respectable in pureblood society and turned over a new leaf after the War ended."

Hermione spoke quickly, her voice quiet. "Ronald Weasley did something bad, and I left him. When I was out, I encountered Draco, who was a changed man at that point. He was always a perfect gentleman to me, and I love him very much."

The other adults looked at her; then Irina spoke. "Thank you for forgiveness. Ve don't deserve it, after all the gossip that has been spread."

"Marissa?" Cass asked, staring blankly at the other _Terra_ whom no one really talked to.

At the same time, Jenna snapped, "Who invited you?"

The group of four stepped off the dance floor and walked over to where their Institute dorm mate stood, looking ready to bolt.

Marissa looked down; her pretty tan robes glittered. Tugging at a lock of her dark ringlets, she said, "If you must know, my Uncle was invited by the President Ray, and he said I could come too. I didn't expect you to - "

"Be here?" Jenna interrupted. "Considering this is _my house_, I was the one not expecting you here. If my mom had told me you'd be here, I would have made sure she uninvited you daddy."

"Uncle." Marissa snapped. "He's my Uncle. And you say that like he invited himself." Jenna rose an eyebrow, the other girl sneered. "Whatever, losers, I just want it to be midnight so I can _get the freak out of here_." And, clearly pissed, she stormed across the room, snatched a goblet from a tray floating by, and sank down in a chair on the other side of the dance floor.

Jenna, Cass, Rebecca, and Katia shared a look that clearly said, _this is gonna be a long night_.

**So we finally meet Cass's friends, and Draco and Hermione meet some other of the adult wizards in America(x Hope y'all enjoyed. There won't be any more of this party; the next chapter's gonna be back in England, with Harry and his kids and their New Year. Ta for now. ~Ayla**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, chapter 3 already. Ok, so theoretically, the first part of this chapter should have been before the last (owing to the fact that Europe is several hours **_**ahead**_** of anywhere in America), but I think that as far as the story is concerned, this makes more sense, and as it is we're skipping from America to Europe and back. Hope you enjoy(x**

"Daddy!" Lily Luna Potter tugged at her father's robes. "Daddy James is being a bad boy again!"

Harry turned to his daughter to see her pouting, with glasses eyes that looked ready to cry. "Well," he said kindly, "let's go see what he's up to."

It was 10:00 PM, December 31st, and the Potters were taking their turn at hosting the New Year's Eve ball that had become tradition, some ten years ago. All of the children (that is to say, all those under the age of 17) were grouped together downstairs in the lavish basement, which usually served as a playroom for James, Albus, and Lily.

Harry opened the door to find James sitting on Albus. "James Sirius!" He exclaimed. James looked up and his face went white; at once, he got off of his brother's head.

"Stacia said I could!" He cried at once, making his older cousin - who was sitting near them, her face buried in a book, all the while totally ignoring her younger, slightly annoying cousins - into a scapegoat.

Anastasia Melanie Weasley looked up from her novel at her uncle, raising an eyebrow. "Really? Do you honestly think I would let him _sit on his own brother's head_?"

Harry rolled his eyes at his son; Anastasia was the epitome of her mother in every way but her hair (which was sleek and bright red), and the light powdering of freckles across her nose. She even acted the way Hermione had, back in Fifth Year - stressing about exams and hiding away in a corner with her closest friend. It made Harry sad to think about how he had lost his other best friend.

"I'm _sure_ Stacia authorized this." Said Harry, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "Just like I'm sure she dared you to you steal Teddy's broomstick and fly it off the Astronomy tower. Or she drove you into making a pie explode in Uncle Neville's face."

James blushed at his bad excuse, then began protesting. "Al's being stupid, though! This is the first time we're here and he's being an absolute idiot!"

"What's he doing?" Harry asked, slightly exasperated.

"He won't stop going on and on about Hogwarts."

"James!" Harry exclaimed. "That is not a valid reason to _sit on him_. It's his first year there and he was excited. Now if I hear that you've done anything else to him you'll be off to bed." He turned, then paused. "And I'll make your mother put a sleeping charm on you so you don't get to take part in the new year surprise." And with that, he did turn and leave the basement.

James turned on Lily, but before he could say anything, Anastasia interrupted him. "Ok, I can tolerate you torturing your brother, but don't go near Lily."

"Shut up, Stacia." He muttered, but turned away from his brother anyways.

"Hey, dear." Ginny said as Harry reentered the sitting room, which had been Transfigured into a ballroom for the night. "What'd James do now?"

Harry shook his head. "Unimportant. Ron having any luck?"

Ginny's expression darkened. "I don't even think they're at home. It's New Year's Eve. I mean, knowing - " she lowered her voice " - knowing Draco they're out socializing at some fancy Ministry party."

"Magic Association." Harry said automatically. "It's called the Magic Association there."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You get the picture. They're not home. Ron needs to work up the balls to talk to her some _other_ day of the year."

"This is the fifteenth New Year's Eve he's spent trying to contact Hermione." Harry said, slightly resigned. "She's got to just not want to talk to him. The only way he's going to get to have a conversation with her is if he goes over to America himself and bangs on the door. And even if he tries, there's a chance that Draco - "

"Will intercept it." Ginny looked down sadly. "It's been over a decade and a half. She's not taking him back."

It had been sixteen years exact since Hermione left him. She had found out that she was pregnant with Anastasia and freaked out. _"We're not ready!"_ she had said _"Ron we have to do something!"_ Ron, being the idiot that he was, was elated they were going to have a child. Hermione didn't believe in abortion, and of course had no desire for their child to be raised by strangers, but she wasn't ready to raise someone. When Ron said that, fine, maybe she should just leave, he'd had no idea that she'd leave a week and a half after he said that and send the baby along with nothing but a note (_This is what you wanted, isn't it? You wanted this more than you wanted me, so congratulations_.). Six and a half months later, her engagement was announced - to the shock of the wizarding world, quite especially Harry, Ron, and Ginny - but none of her old gang had been invited. The only one even _close_ to a Gryffindor friend invited was Neville Longbottom (invited because of his grandmother, both of whom didn't attend out of respect for the Weasley family).

Ron had been in denial since before she'd even started dating Malfoy.

Speak of the devil, Ron came running in, his hair slightly windblown and flecked with snow. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were overly bright - Harry knew that meant he had just been drinking, probably a lot. "Absolutely bloody nothing." He said, smiling. Then he let out a long string of curse words, and called Malfoy a lot of names that Molly Weasley would have disowned him, had she ever heard him say such things.

"Ron, you have to try a night they won't be out." Ginny said patiently.

"No. If she _does_ ever answer, it will be on New Year's Eve. If not this one, then the next one." Ron looked furious, and slightly insane, so neither his sister nor best friend answered.

"Ron," Harry said after a moment's pause. "C'mon. You can try again closer to midnight." He said this only to appease Ron, but it worked. "It's almost a new year. We're having a ball. We should be having fun. The kids are. Stacia is even enjoying herself, and you know how she is." Of course, he didn't mention she was merely reading a text book.

At the mention of his daughter - at the mention of the one reminder of Hermione he had left - he instantly softened. His world revolved Anastasia - she was the one thing that could distract him from the mess his life had turned into. The one thing that made it almost like Hermione was still there.

"Ok." He said, his voice much calmer and softer. "I'm sorry to ruin your night with my tirade."

Ginny's answering smile was soft. "She'll answer one of us eventually. She's smart. She knows we miss her like crazy."

Ron nodded, and the three started a new conversation, all but forgetting about Hermione.

It was the next morning - well, noon could hardly be called 'morning', but they were all just waking up - and Cass ran downstairs to the kitchen, where her parents were sitting drinking coffee. They had serious looks on their faces, and Cass normally wouldn't have said anything to them seeing that look, but she had a feeling she knew what was going on for once.

She sat herself, pouring some coffee and milk over ice. Then - after taking a deep, calming breath and long gulp of iced coffee - she said, "I have a sister, don't I?"

Hermione didn't seem at all alarmed at this accusation, almost dejectedly ready to answer. "Only by blood. And she's just a half-sister."

"Who is she?"

Hermione hesitated for a moment. "Her name is Anastasia Melanie Weasley. She lived in England, and probably doesn't know you to exist." Cass gave her mother a questioning look, so the older woman continued. "I was...once upon a time, I was engaged to another man named Ronald Weasley. But things didn't go well. We had a child too soon, and I wanted his mother to raise her, but he refused. I told him we weren't ready and we were too young, but he didn't listen. So I left him. After a few nights, I ran into your father, and despite past complications I learned that he was a good man, and we fell in love and married. As soon as I knew you were coming, we moved to America to hope to quench the rumours. But it didn't work."

Cass's huge eyes - so fair they were nearly silver - took on a begging quality. "Can I _please_ meet her? I've always wanted a sister!"

Hermione and Draco shared a look. "I can write to her father."

As Cass gave her an intense look that no eleven year old should possess, Hermione Summoned a piece of parchment and a quill and, so that both her daughter and husband could read it, began to write:

_Dear Ronald,  
>I know it has been many a year since the two of us have had a chance to converse, and I know that you must be quite honestly annoyed with me and my husband. I full well understand that it was I that left you, telling you that I did not want to raise Anastasia, and that it probably meant I would never know how she would turn out, but I want to meet her now. I think that we're all ready for her to get to know her mother.<br>And that's not all of it. As I'm sure you know, I have a daughter with Draco - a beautiful girl named Cassiopeia. She's eleven, though she'll be twelve in just a few days, on the fifth. She'd love it if you would allow her to meet her sister, of whom she only just found out about. Anastasia must be sixteen, or fast approaching it, and I'm sure she'd be thrilled to meet our Cass. If she could just come for a stay at our manor - if only for a few days - we would all be more than thrilled.  
>I know that I hurt you badly, but I want you to let me meet my other daughter - if just this one time, as a favor to Anastasia's half-sister.<br>Please send my regards to Harry and Ginny, and everyone else up there. Tell them I miss them dearly, and if they want to visit, the door is always open.  
>Hermione Jean Malfoy neé Granger<em>

She had hesitated in adding that the door was open, but Draco made no protest. She whistled softly, and one of the family owls - Hedwig in honor of Harry's Hedwig - swooped in. Hermione rolled up the parchment and attached it to the owl's leg.

"Are you up for a long journey?" The owl hooted once. "I need you to find Ron Weasley in England. And make sure he sends an answer back. Do whatever it takes." The bird of prey gave another hoot then flew out the window, gone in a few seconds.

The next few days, Cass would be waiting on edge for a reply.

Hedwig arrived at the Potters' home - where Ron and Stacia were staying until term resumed at Hogwarts - roughly a day later, while the two families were eating dinner. She perched on Ginny's chair; Ginny, not recognizing the owl, untied the letter (the owl swooped over to where the other owls of the home perched and began gulping water) and unrolled it. She had barely read the first word when Ron made a noise of excitement across from her. None too gently, he snatched it away from his younger sister, having recognized Hermione's writing the instant he saw it.

Greedily, he read the letter from his lost love. When he had finished, he was numb with all sorts of emotions. As kindly as possible, Harry removed the letter from his best friend's hands and read it aloud. The kids were shocked - they had no actual idea who Hermione was, hearing about her only in passing on very rare instances. Anastasia, who knew the most about her biological mother, went into full-on Hermione-rant-mode in an instant:

"I have a sister? Do I really, dad? Can I finally meet my mother and step-father! She sounds like such a wonderful woman, and you always tell me how like her I am, and now would be perfect if I honestly got to meet her! Please, dad."

Ron was still in shock. Hermione had finally written him because the daughter she actually wanted to have - the child of Draco Malfoy - requested to meet the other child. The child Hermione had wanted to give to his mother and not raise herself.

But this was Stacia. And she wanted this. And he gave Stacia whatever she wanted, no matter.

So he Summoned a quill and parchment and began to write. He couldn't stop, even though he knew Draco would be reading it, and he finally gave it to the owl (who had finished drinking and snacking and resting while he wrote) and sent the letter on its way.

Another day later, Hermione and Draco were sitting in their drawing room; Cass was over at Jen's for the night, and then Jen and the other two girls would be at their home the night after before they went off to the Institute. They were relaxing for the moment when Hedwig swooped in, a letter tied to her leg. At once, Hermione removed it and opened it, reading quickly:

_Dear Hermione,  
>Your daughter's grown up great Amazing, really. Yeah, she's sixteen now, and she's got the exact personality you had when we were in Fifth Year - cramming for OWLs that are ages away, and is of course top of her class. But she doesn't really like being called Anastasia (should've known she wouldn't like having a name that long), so she goes by Stacia or Stacie around here. She heard your letter, and will be thrilled to meet you and your family. Yule holiday is nearly over, so why don't I send her over during Spring break? She can stay the week, I suppose, so long as it's okay with you guys.<br>Harry and Ginny miss you loads. They might visit you over the summer, they said, if you wouldn't mind putting up with three children. Their kids are cute, Hermione. Little James Sirius is the carbon copy of his namesakes, the biggest prankster at the school (he even stole the Marauder's Map, and he's working to become an Animagus - but legally, thank Merlin!). His other son's a year younger and in your daughter - Cass, was it? - in her year; his name's Albus Severus. He looks __exactly__ like Harry and the James that is Harry's dad, only he doesn't wear glasses. I was a little skeptical on the name, despite everything that really happened with Snape, but Al's pretty cool. And then there's little Lily Luna, who's two years younger than Al. If you can remember what Ginny was like at eleven and twelve, you've got our Lily.  
>I gotta say it's been strange not having you here for the past decade and a half. I'm sorry I let things turn out how they did. I should have listened to you. I should have made you stay. I should have got down on my knees and begged for you back. I know it's impossible now, but I still miss you like crazy.<br>With love,  
>Ron<em>

Draco finished reading and scowled at the last paragraph.

"It means nothing to me." Hermione said quickly. "I don't love him anymore."

Draco schooled his features back. "Of course. And this is great. Cass will meet Anastasia, and she'll be happy. And then maybe she can meet the Potter children. I'm sure she'd love them as well."

Draco nodded, his expression guarded. "Well, send back the owl and tell him that we'll have her here over Spring break. This will make Cass happy, that's for sure."

Nervously, Hermione wrote back a hasty reply (merely giving information for international travel that, due to Harry, he probably already knew) and called in another owl, so as not to give Hedwig too much work, already having traveled to Europe and back in just a few days. She attached her reply and sent the owl on its' way.

**Hope you enjoyed. See you next time.**

**Also, just to note, I now admin a page on facebook called The Black Family: misunderstood or maniac? There's a link on my profile, at the bottom. Like it, tell me you're from this story, and your House in a post and you get 20 House points(x [Yes it says 15 under my link, but from THIS story it's five extra points]**


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